[NemesisX]

Originally Posted by Endless619

Not all areas. This is known. Some spots are safe and some are not. You can say that for every other country in the World. This is fact and not up for debate. Most of this crime and gang related issues are on the Texas/Mexico border and has been for years. Also known.

You're obfuscating the issue entirely. Of course every area of the world has some non-zero incidence of violence. That's not the point.

The point is that there is some threshold level of risk for violence beyond which I am not willing to tolerate, and Mexico happens to fall beyond that threshold.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10681249

The violence has been both spreading and becoming more numerous (see "The spread of Mexico's drug related violence" map and compare between 2009, 2010, and 2011).

[TrevorM3]

such a shame about mexico, went to cancun a couple years back. Was really nice.


Bahamas is gorgeous too, atlantis is something out of this world.

[Maestro]

I think most people said it, stay away form Mexico, yeah the resorts generally could be okay, however, the drug violence spills over in to areas which you would not think it should. Especially when the drug gangs are try to make a statement. The worst areas are right near the boarder. I work for a company who has people who have to go into mexico on business and we make the company we are visiting to provide arm personally to protect people and they bring armor vehicles as well. It is pretty much like Columbia was 20 yrs ago.

[KingOfJericho]

The people who mentioned Cabo as being nice really need to travel more. It's the only vacation I've been on where I felt that my life may be in danger. The ocean is so deep/rough that you can't really swim in it, the beach is dirty and loaded with vendors pestering you in your beach chair, there were bums and banditos all over the place, and it's a sandy desert that's not at all beautiful (subjective, I know). I have a really hard time finding anything likeable about Cabo.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by Maestro

I think most people said it, stay away form Mexico, yeah the resorts generally could be okay, however, the drug violence spills over in to areas which you would not think it should. Especially when the drug gangs are try to make a statement. The worst areas are right near the boarder. I work for a company who has people who have to go into mexico on business and we make the company we are visiting to provide arm personally to protect people and they bring armor vehicles as well. It is pretty much like Columbia was 20 yrs ago.

When I visited one of our facilities in Mexico, the group of people from my plant were transported in a Humvee with a lead and tailing vehicle filled with heavily armed security personell. Once we arrived we had to go through 3 sections of gating that was also heavily guarded with two tier razor wire on each section. The plant wasn't even near a rural area.

I am not going back. I'm sure if you stay in a resort you can have a decent weekend, but that experience completely killed it for me, on top of what I have seen online with the mass killings and beheadings.

I'd say pick the Bahamas. Can't go wrong.

[kevinbahnz]

Thanks for each and every input. This is probably the first time my sister has been on the plane besides the flight we took to the US back in 79. I'm not even sure if she can leave the country If she pisses me off this year I'll send her to Mexico next year.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by Litos

yes it is.

I don't have to be in Mexico for the last 12 months to understand what it's like there.

I've lived in Mexico longer than you spent in high school....

4 uncles and 2 aunts still live there......

just don't go.......it ain't worth it......

I'm not going to chance being dug up in some shallow grave with 150 other chopped up motherfuckers 3 months after my death.....

Originally Posted by Endless619

Sure you have. lol I am older than you and have lived around the world being in the military and before I joined. You don't know me and I am not here to argue what I know. You have your opinion and I disagree having been there, vacationed there and lived there.

My family is from there as well. There are certain spots I would avoid, yes, not the entire country, period, end of story.

Maybe it took a decade to get through high school

The only place I would go in Mexico would be Cozumel, and I probably wouldn't bother.

[Maestro]

I know some people like staying at a resort and and never leaving the grounds. Personally I like to adventure around and go exploring. The wife and I and now with the kids we spend more time going around and finding things to see and do than we ever spend at the hotel. This is part of the reason I personally would not go to Mexico resort, you pretty much stuck in the resort unless you want to take your life in your hands.

Another place I would never go is the Philippines, yeah they have some nice resorts too, but I went there on business. When we went there people we were traveling with hired "special transportation." We were going to take a cab from the airport to the hotel/resort and we were told that would not be safe. We were picked up in an small SUV very common looking nothing out of the ordinary (not sure what was special about it) except for the completely blacked out windows. As we were driving through the common areas, and had to stop in traffic we had people walking up to the car trying to see into the windows. Talk about scary. Then we get to the hotel/resort only to be stopped at gate and having security pull out the little mirror to look under the car and watch them tearing the car apart next to us. Then we get to the hotel lobby and have a drug dog and guard come up to us and check us out. Keep in mind this was 4/5 Star Hotel resort we were staying at.

So if I was going on vacation, I do not want to worry about being attacked or being killed and would like to move around freely. This is why I would not go certain places in the world.

[Litos]

just send them to Disneyland...

my wife and i went by ourselves for 3 days back in 2010 - had such an awesometime.

then in June of this year, we took the kids - they had a blast too....

next year, we don't do D-Land again - i plan on going to San Diego for a week....

[DSB335d]

I recently spent 15 days in El Salvador, La Libertad to be exact. Country is beautiful. We rented a house from an American couple via VRBO.com right on the ocean, it was pretty amazing. It is a top 10 surf destination if you are into surfing. We rented a car probably drove about 1500 miles all over that country. Snorkeling sucked as it was the tail end of their rainy season so the ocean was rather cloudy, locals said during the winter though the water is crystal clear. I seen locals diving for lobsters and fishing from the beach. I could go on and on, it was the best trip I've ever been on.
Honduras is really nice too, waters are crystal clear year round.

[Litos]

Originally Posted by DSB335d

I recently spent 15 days in El Salvador, La Libertad to be exact.

El Salvador is probably the home to the most violent and lunatic gang in the western hemisphere - MS13.

they're in deep with the Sinaloa Cartel because of their savage attitudes.

they're kind of like the Sinaloa Cartel's Bodyguards to battle and protect them against Los Zetas Cartel....

[DSB335d]

Yeah we heard stuff from locals about MS-13... We never witnessed or felt any sort of danger. We dressed down, no jewelry, went to heavily populated areas (police had a presence everywhere, carrying AK's , shotguns & machine guns...) the community we stayed in had armed guards patrolling.

We felt pretty safe everywhere we went.

[Arben72]

Why not go to North Korea? They have unicorns...

[Litos]

Originally Posted by DSB335d

(police had a presence everywhere, carrying AK's , shotguns & machine guns...)

90% of those guys belong to the Cartels.

the 10% that don't eventually get killed.....

[kscarrol]

Yep and it's sad because Mexico really is a beautiful country. Been several times but the last was 10 years ago when we went to Cabo. Simply to risky to bring my family there today. Even if the risk is small at resorts like Cabo, I'll simply go elsewhere...

[kevinbahnz]

Originally Posted by Arben72

Why not go to North Korea? They have unicorns...

No thanks, rodman's over there..

[Joekerr]

Not to beat a dead horse, but have you considered that the Bahamas might be a little cooler in the winter (presume you are considering a January vacation for them)?

Average lows are 18 degrees, with average high of 25. The high sounds fine, but the low is not very "tropical". And it can get lower.

http://weatherspark.com/averages/327...as-The-Bahamas

[will.c]

Overseas might be too much for a 3-night trip. They'll prob end up spending 2 days in transit. Maybe something closer like a ski trip? I don't know what they like..

[Billup]

Guy in the office next to me just got back from his house in Hawaii. Said it was in the 80's. Might not be a bad choice if you are trying to send them somewhere tropical. Although he said in total, the trip time (from NC) was about 17 hours. Round trip tickets I think he said was anywhere from $725 to upper $900's.

[Arben72]

Originally Posted by kevinbahnz

No thanks, rodman's over there..

Beggars can't be choosers. This is why your family can't have a nice vacation. Your just too picky.

[P1]

I've been to Mexico 4 times in the past few years, always to Cancun or Isla Mujeres. I always take a private Suburban or Escalade chartered by the resort to the resort. Zero issues, but the resort we stayed in did have three separate gates.

First time in Cancun was probably 5 years ago, and I'd take the public bus and head over to the market in Cancun. Probably not the safest thing, but I never felt like I was in danger.

My friend just got back from Cancun a month ago. Had a great time.

[kevinbahnz]

Originally Posted by Joekerr

Not to beat a dead horse, but have you considered that the Bahamas might be a little cooler in the winter (presume you are considering a January vacation for them)?
Average lows are 18 degrees, with average high of 25. The high sounds fine, but the low is not very "tropical". And it can get lower.
http://weatherspark.com/averages/327...as-The-Bahamas

For some reason that link states different. Average high is 70-80F. and lows 65F.

Originally Posted by will.c

Overseas might be too much for a 3-night trip. They'll prob end up spending 2 days in transit. Maybe something closer like a ski trip? I don't know what they like..

Yes I did consider travel time and the Bahamas isn't that bad. 1 hour to Jersey and 5 hours from there.

Originally Posted by Arben72

Beggars can't be choosers. This is why your family can't have a nice vacation. Your just too picky.

I'm not gonna book it until i get her reaction. She might be afraid of flying , that's why she's never been out of the country.